IN THE LAST several months there has been a spate of arrests in Northern Ireland. subsequently charged on the basis of testimony of informers. and the RUC as a result of the breakdown of solidarity in the Catholic communities there.
contestably greater support that exists for Sinn Fein since the hunger strike. In the New Year there will be a series of show trials resting on the evidence of such informers. So Brian Grogan asked Gerry O'Brien, a representative of the Relatives for Justice a group based in Belfast, to explain the situation to Socialist Challenge.
HE KAL when are com include up to people at a time. They will be uaece solely on inc Dasis o an informer's word.
The current widespread use of informers has to be the background DRIEST TOPIC SIC LOCHICUC Over Tease caned half.
In the early 70's the Brits that the police the statement I made was under duress and threats by the police.* prisoner on remand, Crumlin Road Jail, signed 14.4.82 relied on internment to try to cruse ine resistance to snas occupation but pressure forc abandon this.
hey turned to forced confes sions Haue unue uuress mainy Carted Qui But again. following the Bennett which brutal and human treatment 1OTCed methods.
Starting November 1981. they have developed a informers systematically put away peoSocialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 4 People have been This has been explained by the Tories Such developments in no way square with the inPorthern inlarg Irish RUC, have perfected DOLICC. number ot teenniques for creating an informer. someone keep incommunicado or seven days.
After the RUC has successfully 'cooperaof the informer, a large or peopie maybe 40 or 50 would be ired and taken to Castleraigh. The Special Branch would then read a to the informer for example.
I have since spoken to both Road Jail, and asked them why they told lies about mysell them if they would them in serious offences, day made his affidavit.
allegations. prisoner on remand February 1892 vou consnire to commit er Fi with one of the lifted people present?) who would then be charged in court and remanded in This an hunt to interimen -to two year by remand The informers themselves when mey are cooperatin: often are put into isolanion u England. Several times, thei families would be taken away against their will.
Africa or Miami. They asked me to give evidence agains people they named to me.' prisoner now on bail Taken to barracks; held forTOM Ine reatives puts them strain. We know in• out of twelve or so Cascs CULMISIE formers where the informers have retracted their evidence once they have been able to contact cur an Konives or muscena developed as those methods. We attempt to reconce organise the relatives of those pressurised become the case McGurk and Mallen for ex• and .. . in 'C' wing, Crumlin hey said unal me borce nac conen mem tor coral or fences that they (the police) had offered all sorts of deals to point out certain people and involve , and testy acainstmemin coun They agreed to this to try to save their own skins. On the detectives visited him and offered him immunity if he would go through with his false ample, we were able to bring their relatives into the courts and tere were retractions m Enose Suations it was after ENOS LWO cases the put pressure on the Department of Public Persccution ing in the Bill of Indictmen This is an ancient law utilised to avoid me necessity olde until the itself. Yer another means of pressure to turn informer' is the threat to They offered me £50,000 and a safe passage to South use informers WHO TONESES. We had the case or someone rom ne Markers area After he he was himself im mediarely arrested and charg ed on SECT TO TIC WASTE CH anommer Intorner AND WEY FIX You